Gas accumulator



June 11, 1929.

R. OPPEN HEIM GAS ACCUMULATOR Filed June 1925 I N VBN TUR Patented June 11," 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT Q nnmt orrnnnnm, or nnvamorsrnannr, rmon, assronon To some LE cannorm, or LEVALLOIS-PERBEI, rnmcn.

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Original application filed Kay 20, 1924, Serial 1W0. 714,711. Divided and this application filed June 8,

' 1925. Serial No. 85,467.

The present application is a division of my application No. 714,711, filed May 20th 1924.

The so-called gas batteryaccumulators, that is to say accumulators restoring the 5 energy of the ionized gases, have, as is .well known, various advantages, chief among them being that their weight in relation to the available quantities of energy is low in comparison with that of lead accumulators. For

example, their formation is very rapid, and

' their conditions of charge and dischargev put.

- The gas battery or accumulator of this invention is essentially characterized by the fact that it comprises a medium of great absorbing power in a small volume storing up the gases which originate from the char e and restoring them at the time of the disc arge.

The invention consists substantially in the use of electrodes capable of absorbing the gasesand which are constituted, for this purpose, by a porous body being also a ood conductor of electricity, possessing a 'gh abgas or gases is or are a ain liberated so as to reconstitute the electro yte.

In the accumulator of the present invention, the porous electrode is formed of an intimate mixture of a powder formed of porous grains, for instance of a charcoal powder and of a nonmetallic colloidal suspension, capable of pectization, in which the electrolyte is incorporated so that the electrolyte is immobilized. Under the action of the absorbent properties of the grains of powder, the colloidal solution forms upon the whole surface of each of these latter'a pectized film impermeable to the electrolyte though still perme able to the reaction gases. 7 e

According to the nature of the electrolyte used, the-two electrodes of the accumulator or one of them only will be constituted in accordance with the present invention.

When the electrolyte used causes the formation of two. gases, the two electrodes are constituted as above stated. In this case the cell is divided by a porous diaphragm into two compartments each filled with the porous electrolyticbody and in each of which there is inserted a current conductor, formed of a materialwhich is not attacked by the electrolyte and which is a good conductor of electricity, as for instance a plate of retort car- 'sorbent power, and being protected over the 7 whole of its surface by a coating impermeable to liquids tho u h permeable by gases.

' This porous y, due to its special. character, can concentrate during charging under a low pressure a consider-ab which it retains as long as the circuit remains open and only releases it at the moment of the discharge.

. tained (a) The sure, of a large quantity of ener liberated.

- (b) Work practically nul with an open circult; I I

, (c) A practically perfect output when'the If the electrolyte decomposes into a gas and a metal, the anode alone presents the arrangement described above; the cathode, on the contrary, is formed of a metal rod or plate, of the. same metal as that forming the basis of the electrolyte. This plate or rod penetrates intoa solution of this electroe, contained in a porous vessel placed 1n t e center of the porous. mass'forming the The following advantages-are thus ob;

, positive electrode. e quantity of gas, I

understood, two methods of ap lication of In order that the invention may be clearly the same will be described herea r, by way of example, with reference to the accompanyin drawing in which a ig. 1 shows I an embodiment 'of the'invention applicable in cases wherethe electrolyte decomposes into two aseous elements.

Fig. 2 vshows a mo 'fication, applicable in in case the electrolyte used decomposes mto a gas and a metaL. I

The embodiment illustrated in-Fig. 1, applicable in case the electrolyte used decomposes into two gaseous elements, comprises a jar a of an insulating material which is not attacked by the electrolyte, glass for instance, divided into two compartments by a diaphragm j made of porous earth for instance, each of these compartments is filled with a pasty mass 72 c composed of a mixture of porous powder and electrolyte obtained in the following manner:

A colloidal suspension is preparedof fecula or starch, for example arrow-root flour, adding to said fecula about twice its weight in water and heating the emulsion thus obtained to about 90 C. lVit-h this colloidal suspension is mixed about an equal weight of fine charcoal powder either pure or mixed with plumbago, and to the mass is then added a concentrated solution of the electrolyte, say hydrochlorate of ammonia for example the whole mass being mixed together to form a paste, the electrolyte being thus immobilized.

Two plates or rods f g of retort carbon penetrate into the centre of the electrolytic porous mass 6 ,0 contained in the two compartments of the vat (1, these plates or rods f} g form the two uptakes for the positive and negative current.

The jar a is hermetically closed at its upper \part by a layer of wax, or other suitable material k opposing the egress of the gases and facilitating the transportation of the apparatus.

In the course of the chargin the chlorine, released by the electrolyte, is a sorbed by the porous powder of the anodic mass 6 and the ammonia concentrates in the porous powder of the cathodic mass 0 During the discharge the chlorine and the ammonia are restored. by the two porous masses 6 c and are recombined so as to form hydrochlorate of ammonia.-

Figure 2'shows a manner of carrying out the inv'entionfby also using a porous electrode and applicable in case the electrolyte used decomposes into a gas and a metal.

In this apparatus the anode is formed by a porous electrolytic mass 6 obtained as herein efore set forth, but in which the electrolyte used is chloride of zinc. Aplate or rod f of retort carbon constitutes the positive conductor and penerates to the, centre of this porous electrolytic mass 12 contained in the vat a.-

The cathod is a plate or rod of zinc i penetrating into a porous vessel Z, of potteryware for example, closed at its lower part by a coating of wax W, or other suitable material. This porous vessel contains a concentrated solution of zinc chloride k and is surrounded by the porous electrolytic mass 6 The jar a and the porous vessel 1 are closed hermetically at their upper part by a layer of wax 70. c I

In the course of the charging, the zinc, released from the chloride of zinc forming the electrolyte, is deposited upon the zinc plate or rod 6 which forms the cathode, and the chlorine is absorbed by the porous powder of the anodic mass 6 At the time of discharge the chlorine is restored by this latter and dissolves the zinc deposited upon the cathode 2'.

It is to be understood that the methods of application hereinbefore set forth are only given by way of example, and that the form,

sizes, nature of the materials employed and the structural details may vary according to the different applications of the invention.

1. In a gas accumulator, an intimate mixture of a finely divided porous conducting material, a pectizable colloidal solution and a concentrated solution of an electrolyte, said colloidal solution serving to both render the porous conducting material impermeable to liquids without destroying its permeability to gases and to immobilize the electrolyte, and

current conducting means penetrating the center of said mixture, said means being unattackable by the electrolyte.

" 2. A gas accumulator comprisingcurrent conducting elements, unattackable by electrolyte, and a porous electrolytic mass com-,

posed of an intimate mixtureof a porous finely divided conducting material, a.v concentrated solution of an electrolyte, and a pectizable colloidal solution, said latter solution the porous conducting material comprises 9 charcoal and the colloidal solution is a colloidal suspension of fecula.

. 6. A gas-accumulator comprisin at its positive pole an electrolyte-unattacka le electrode disposed in a porous electrolytic mass composed of an intimate mixture of finely divided charcoal, a concentrated solution of an electrolyte and a pectizable colloidal solution, said latter solution serving both to immobilize the electrolyte and to render the charcoal impermeable to liquids though still retaining permeability to gases, at its negative pole a concentrated solution of electrolyte in which is disposed an electrode of the same metal as that forming the anion of the electrolyte, and a orous partition separating theporous electro ytic mass from the solution about the negative pole.

7. A gas accumulator comprisin positive pole an electrolyte-unattacka 1e elecat itstrode disppsed in a porous electrolytic inass' composed of an intimate mixture of finely divided charcoal, a concentrated solution of 4 zinc chloride and a colloidal suspension of fecula, said latter suspension serving both to immobilize the zinc chloride solution and to render the charcoal impermeableto liquids though still retaining permeability to gases,

at its negative pole a concentrated solution of zinc chloride in which is disposed an electrode of zinc, and a porous partition separating the porous electrolytic mass from the 10 solution about the negative pole.

The foregoing specification of my gas accumulator signed by me this 26th day of May, 1925.

RENE OPPENHEIM. 

